Tottenham Hotspur suffered a losing feat they had not been subjected to in 113 years during Sunday's shock 2-1 Premier League defeat to Leicester City.
Ange Postecoglou's men came into their latest top-flight affair still searching for their first league win of 2025, where their only successes so far have come in knockout settings.
The Lilywhites prevailed 3-2 against Hoffenheim in Thursday's Europa League contest to warm up for Sunday's showdown in perfect fashion, and things were looking up for the hosts at half time.
Richarlison - making his first Premier League start of the season - headed in the opening goal from a pinpoint Pedro Porro cross just after the half-hour mark, but Spurs astonishingly blew the game with just five minutes gone in the second period.
Perpetual Big Six nemesis Jamie Vardy got Ruud van Nistelrooy's men back on level terms within a minute of the restart, before Bilal El Khannouss completed a remarkable turnaround just a few moments later.
Tottenham match 1912 losing feat in Leicester defeat
© Iconsport
Spurs' desperate attacks for the remainder of the second half were futile, and the North London outfit have now suffered four straight losses in the Premier League, leaving them in a miserable 15th place in the table.
In addition, Sunday's reverse marked the first time since 1912 that Tottenham had been defeated in the league by a team on a seven-game losing streak, as Leicester travelled to the capital having taken zero points from their previous 21 on offer.
Not since a defeat to Notts County in 1912 had Spurs suffered that exact fate, but the man who was initially breaking the best kind of records at Tottenham is now equalling the worst sort of feats.
The under-fire Postecoglou is also now just the second Spurs manager to lose four straight Premier League games on more than one occasion, emulating David Pleat from the 2003-04 season.
Tottenham's 13th loss of the Premier League season was inevitably met by a chorus of boos at the full-time whistle, as well as fierce protests towards chairman Daniel Levy, who now has a massive decision to make over Postecoglou's future.
Postecoglou: 'A fair chunk expect me to be sacked'
© Imago
The Australian has apparently been granted leniency thanks to Spurs' injury crisis this season, but when asked in his post-match press conference if he would still be in charge when all of his unfit players returned, Postecoglou could offer no guarantees.
"Who knows," football.london quotes Postecoglou as saying. "I reckon there is probably a fair chunk that will say no. When you are the manager of a football club you can be very vulnerable and isolated. I don't feel that.
" I feel like this group of players, not for me, are giving everything for the club. I have a group of staff that is really committed. I focus on that. My role within that is to try and support these players.
"I can even see in training when the guys who are coming back come back in it is going to give everybody a lift. As I keep saying to the players, there is a fantastic opportunity this season to really make an impact and I know we can."
Postecoglou also confirmed that Spurs suffered a new injury blow in their Sunday's defeat, and the Lilywhites have three days to recuperate before their final Europa League league phase match against Elfsborg on Thursday.
Ben Knapton
